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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. kid — child
  8. branch — a division
  9. kid — to tease
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rest — what's left
  12. swing — music
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rest — what's left
  16. swing — in golf
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rest — a break
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. swing — to play on
  24. pitch — a sales talk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com